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Thera 1.29: Harita
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(29):Harita Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter I. Single Verses =29. Hārita= Reborn in this Buddha-age at Sāvatthī, as the son of a wealthy brahmin(priest),1 his parents wedded him to a brahmin's daughter suitable in birth, beauty and every other respect. And he, enjoying his lot with her, was one day, while he contemplated the perfection of her beauty, addressed by the order of things,2 that such beauty must needs before long be crushed out by decay and death. no, when but a few days had passed by, his wife was bitten by a black snake and died. Overwhelmed by anguish he sought the Lord(Buddha) and, hearing the Path(Dhamma), severed his domestic ties and left the world(for monkhood). Now while he was training himself ethically, he could not make straight his heart.3 And going for alms into the village,4 he saw a bow maker applying his tools and making straight the shaft of an arrow. Then, he thought: 'These men make even a senseless thing straight; why do I not make straight my heart?' So he turned back and, seated for siesta, stirred up insight. And lo! the Exalted One(Buddha), seated in the air above him, addressed him by this verse: ---- 29 Samunnamayamattānaɱ usukāro'va tejanaɱ|| Cittaɱ ujuɱ karitvāna avijjaɱ bhinda hāritā' ti.|| || ---- 29 Now bend upwards yourself; even as his bolt The bow maker, so do you, O Hārita, Make straight your heart and ignorance cut away. ---- Hearing him, the Thera developed insight, and soon became an arahant(enlightened). He upon that declared aññā''(supreme attainment)'' with this same verse. ---- 1 Cf. CLXXXIV. Hārita, one of the gods of the Brahma(ArchAngel)-heaven (Dialogues, ii 292), was the name in the Jātaka of an erring bhikkhu, on whose account the Buddha related a birth-story of his own fallibility when Bodhisat (Jāt., iii. 295). 2 Lit., dhammatā, cf. p. 89, and my Buddhism, pp. 119, 241. 3 Cittaɱ may be rendered by heart or mind, understood as synonymous, as in our New Testament. 4 Gāmo, whether Sāvatthi, called elsewhere nagaro, 'town,' or a suburb, or other place, is not stated. Cf. Ps. XIX. ---- 1.3-929 Commenatry on the stanza of =Hārita Thera= The stanza starting with Samunnamayamattanaṃ constitutes that of the venerable Thera Hārita. What is the origin? It is said that he, having done devoted service toward former Buddhas, accumulating a good load of meritorious deeds conducive towards escape from rounds of repeated rebirths (vaṭṭa) in this and that existence, saw a silent buddha named Sudassana, thirtyone aeoms (kappa) ago from now, became pious-minded, made reverential offering of Kutaja (medicinal) flowers and on account of that act of merit, he turned himself round and round but in excellent existences (sugati) and was reborn in an abundantly wealthy brahmin family in the city of Sāvatthi, when this Buddha arose. His name was Hārita. To him who had come to age, his parents brought a youthful daughter of a brahmin commensurate with such qualities as family, form, beauty and so on. He was enjoying together with her the bliss of wealth when one day he looked at his own as well as her prosperity (sampatti) in good form and beauty and gained remorse befittingly being urged by (his) nature (dhammatā) thus:– “Such a beautiful form as this will soon be trodden upon by old age and death but before long.” But by the lapse of even a few days, a black snake bit his wife and killed her. On that account, he became all the more remorseful, went to the presence of the Master, listened to the dhamma, cut off the bindings of household and became a monk. When, however, he was living after taking hold of such mental exercise (kammaṭṭhāna) as was commensurate with his conduct, his mental exercise (kammaṭṭhāna) did not succeed; his mind did not go straight. He entered the village for alms-food, saw a certain arrow-maker throwing an arrow-rod into the machine (yanta) and making the same straight, thought thus:– “These arrow-maker make straight this, namely, inanimate objects even; why should I not make my mind straight? He befittingly receded but from there got seated in his day-life and started developing clear insight (vipassanā). Thereupon the Blessed One sat Himself down in the sky above him and uttered a stanza starting with “samunnamayamattānaṃ,” giving him instruction. They say also thus:– This self-same Thera himself spoke instructing himself as if to another person. 29. There, samunnamayaṃ means bending well upwards: not allowing to fall to the wing-half of laziness by the influence of proper attainment of jhāna (samāpatti) lifting up (uddharanto) from there, making himself engaged in equal exertion (vīriyasamataṃ); thus, is the meaning. Attānaṃ means mind; in other words, samunnamayā means inclined himself up from the half portion of laziness. The syllable ma is the maker of union (sandhi) of words; if because of enferior exertion your mind did not befittingly enter upon the path of mental exercise (kammaṭṭhāna) you had better bend it up rightly by way of putting fourth effort (vīriyārambha); do not make the bending down or inclining off; thus, is the significance. Doing in this manner, however, usukāro va te janaṃ; cittaṃ ujaṃ karitvāna, avijjaṃ bhinda Hārita.” The expression is to be construed thus:– just as, namely, a maker of arrow makes straight (his) arrow wich had even slightly stooped and strained aside as well for the purpose of hitting (bhindana) athe target (lakkhaṃ) when shooting (with that arrow) in the same manner having straightened your mind which had become stooped from its fall into idleness because of not looking after and which had become strained from its fall into distraction because of not looking after, penetrating for the attainment of one-pointed fixation (appanā) you had better become well-composed (samāhita) in mind ardently indulged (ussukkāpeti) in the development of clear insight (vipassanā) crush and break asunder the ignorance (avijjā) by means of your knowledge of foremost right path (magga) quickly. On having heard that instruction, the Thera developed clear insight (vipassanā) and became an Arahant but before long. Hence, it has been stated in the Apadāna:– “Not far from Himavanta, there was a hill named Vāsala. Buddha named Sudassana dwelt inside the hill. Having collected Himavanta flowers I went through the sky where I came across the self-awakened Buddha free from cankers (āsava) who had crossed over the flood (of saṃsārā). Taking along with me medicinal kutaja flowers which I carried then on my head, I had them specially offered on Buddha, the self-made great sage. It was thirty one aeons (kappa) ago from now, that I specially made reveren- tial offering of flowers, I do not remember any evil existence (duggati); this is the fruitful result of reveren- tial flower-offering. My depravity had been burnt; … Buddha’s instruction had been carried out. Having, however, attained Arahantship, he recited that self-same stanza in order also to make manifest his Arahantship (aññā). The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Hārita is complete. ----